Tuesday, 15 January 2008

Good recoveries by intensive care unit patients

PATIENTS who are treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, have been reassured they are more likely to recover than would be the case in many other parts of the country.An independent national survey showed the department is delivering high quality care to the people of Somerset and was among the top three performing comparable units in the country.Musgrove ICU patients had an 18 per cent better outcome overall than the statistics would predict.The report acknowledged that the department was busy, with 500 admissions last year, and, compared with similar units, that patients admitted were older, sicker, and had a greater likelihood of their conditions being life threatening than anticipated.Dr Bradley Browne, consultant anaesthetist and clinical lead for critical care medicine at Musgrove Park, said: “The report shows even with the higher needs of our patients, we are performing extremely well.“This is a result of great teamwork, having staff with the right expertise, and professional attitude. The unit and staff are very proud of this achievement.”ICU senior nurse Carolyn Panton said: “As a nursing team we are dedicated and focussed in our efforts to provide a very high standard of care for the patient and their families.“We are also very lucky to have a superb group of support staff who help to keep the unit running efficiently.”Last year, Margaret Lomax’s husband Michael was treated in Musgrove Park ICU but later died.However, Margaret was full of praise for the care which she and her husband received.She said: “The dedication of the team in ICU is astounding. The care that we received was superb and everybody was just so kind and caring. They were absolutely exceptional.”

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Newsflash

The West Somerset Post continues to grow and expand, and having moved last year from a monthly newspaper to publishing fortnightly, we are pleased to announce that we have now become a weekly newspaper. We have also advanced our publication day, and we are now available every week on a Thursday. In addition, we have extended our circulation area to include the westernmost parts of Taunton Deane and Sedgemoor, covering those communities with which West Somerset residents have an affinity.